davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
NOVEL ILLUMINATION.
How Drunken Caribbees Found Whethe
Man Was in His Cabin.

How Drunken Caribbees Found Whether
a Man Was in His Cabin.
Mr.. ODER was one evening alone in his
cabin on one of the Caribbees, when he
heard shoutings in the distance, and
looking out, distinguished two torches,
held aloft by unsteady hands, approach
ing through the forest. As they came
nearer, he made out three persons, who
were singing bacchanalian song, and
evidently intoxicated, though, as after
ward appeared, they were not SO far
gone but that they still had their wits
about them.
Acting upon the resolution of the in
slant l barricaded door and window,
slipped couple of cartridges into my
gun and retired to my hammock. BY
this time the Caribs were upon me,
pounding heavily at my door, and shout
ing, in unintelligible French, threats, en-
treaties and imprecations.
kept silence, which only exasperated
them the more, and at last heard one of
them say, II will see if he is there" and
then, later, when l thought they had
gone, heard slight rustling at crack
in the walls, and saw sailing into the
room, one after another, tiny sparks of
nfe, glowing Win Sreenlsh phophoreS-
cent light.
They did not drop inert, these Narks,
nor did they set fire to my hatch, for
they were sparks of the animal kingdom,
elaters, fireflies, two of which will give
out light sufficient to read by.
The little cleaning messengers in
creased in numbers, and the darkness
was crossed and recrossed by fiery trails
of light; and still the busy fingers of my
assailants thrust them in more and more.
AT last the room became quite light, and
by an inadvertent movement l exposed
myself.
With shout, they proclaimed the sue
cess of their device, and demanded to be
let in; but this l would not do, and after
bowling themselves hoarse, they finally
went away.-E,Ichange.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
PUNCTILIOUS.
Dual Personalities in the Transaction of
Every Day business.

Dual Personalities in the Transaction of
Every Day business.
gentleman in a suburban town went
call upon a lady whose family occu-
pied one-half of a double house. The
front doors of the two parts opened upon
the same stoop. AT one of the doors the
gentleman pulled the bell. The door
was opened by servant, who answered
the inquiry for Mrs. s. by directing
the caller to the other door.
The visitor then turned to the bell-pull
on the adjacent door-post, and in a few
moments that door was opened by the
same servant, who solemnly replied to
the second inquiry regarding Mrs. S
by saying that the lady was not at home.
This incident is matched by another
that took place in Vienna-rather more
than matched, in fact, for the person who
played two parts in the comedy had a
special mood and temper for each part.
"My friend was in Vienna" says a
traveller ale had taken from here a
letter of credit on one of the best-known
banks, and he wanted to draw on it. So
he sought the agency of the bank in
Vienna. He walked into an office which
had big barricade in front of long
desk and two small holes cut for the
convenience of customers. He walked
up to the first of them. A man came up.
He handed the letter of credit to him.
The man looked at it and said, very
grutfiy, Next window
"My friend went to the next window, a
man came up, took his letter of credit,
looked at it, smiled pleasantly, and said,
That's all right. How much do you wish
to draw, STRIP
at was the same man."-iSan Fran
c1scO MrOnicLe
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
EASILY FRIGHTENED.
Native Wit Always the Best Ally in Il
Time of Emergency.

Native Wit Always the Best Ally in the
Time of Emergency.
A fine show of bravery sometimes does
as ellectual service as the courage which
is conscious of having practical defenses
at its back. A brave blast of trum
pets will often cause citadel to capitu-
late, even in these modern days.
An American traveller while returning
home at nightfall through one of the
suburbs of Paris suddenly encountered
a savage-looking fellow who, stepping
up to him, demanded his money.
The American replied by clapping a
pistol to his assailant's head and then, as
the man recoiled, Selling him by the
throat and shouting for help. A police
man happening to be within hearing the
thief was secured and brought up for
examination the next morning.
Scarcely had he been sentenced when
the magistrate turned sharply upon the
American, asking, Monsieur, have you a
license to carry firearms ?"
mo, haven't"
"Then must fine you for having that
pistol in your possession
But is there any fine for carrying a
pistol which cannot be fired"
mo"
"Well, then, Pm all right, for my pistol
has no lock, and intended that day to
take it to gunsmith for repair"
Here the thief broke out with cry of
fury and despair, at having been so easily
deceived, and he probably always re
membered the occasion as one on which
his native wit had deserted him. Youths
COmpdnSon.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
TCoDvrf0hfed. ISL

Thanksgiving Day is festival of very
recent date in the South. The holiday
on the old plantation that most nearly
corresponds to it was the corn-husking.
Everybody on farm feels good about
November, especially the proprietor, if
he is good manager. The crops are all
gathered and snugly preserved from the
winters storms in barn, fodder-house and
rick. The hard work of the year is over
only the stock to feed, tobacco to stem
on wet day, corn to husk and occasion
ally load to be driven to the steamboat
landing. The farmer now has time to sit
in snug chimney corners in company
with his pipe, and watch the blue smoke
curl around his head, while the big hick
DRY logs in the great fireplace crackle
loudly as though they were swapping
their fingers in derision of the efforts
of the storm outside to render the house
uncomfortable, as long as they glowed
and famed on the hearth.
In the great field the corn has been cut
off close to the ground and placed up
right in stacks to dry. When its
condition warrants, the stacks are torn
to pieces, the ears pulled off, and the
stalks are laid thickly on slanting
frame work of poles, thus form
ing fodder-house, impervious to wind
or rain; then the tired oxen (for an OK
always looks tired to me) haul in the corn,
which is thrown in the fodder-house to
await the occurrence of husking festi.
val, This generally took place in the
latter part of November, when farm work
was about finished. When the day ar
rived the corn was thrown out of the
fodder-house in great heap Ia fine day
being always chosen), and it was husked
in the open air. AS fast as the covering
of husk was removed from the ear it was
placed in a basket to be taken to the
barn. The husks were also carefully
kept to stuff mattresses. There is con-
siderable labor attached to husking a
large lot of corn, but where a great many
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03

people take II In hand it is soon done.
The negroes regarded a corn-husking as
gala day, and rot only our own hands
participated, but they f1ocked from
neighboring plantations AS the lines
1T restraint were sensibly slackened
IN such an occasion, all enjoyed
themselves Our huskings were very
'opular, partly because we were
cputed to treat our negroes well,
nd partly-and largely 1 expect
ecause we always gave the huskers
rood supper and allowed them the use
# the threshing floor for dancing or any
other amusement they might select The
husking began in the afternoon and the
PARTICIPANTS came in large numbers. Old
.!ncles, gray headed, always replying to
IN inquiry about their health with "On'y
Iollable, boss" aged aunties, their heads
protected by red handkerchief worn
urban fashion, and all of them victims
to that prevalent negro malady, "mis'ry
in de back" Athletic young men came,
90, their black faces shining with ex-
recitation and their ivory teeth cleaning
between their thick lips as they smiled
and bowed to "massa." Bellies of the
quarter came also, coquettishly tossing
their heads at some compliment vOuch-
1afed by an admirer, while last but not
least came host of pickaninnies, of all
ages, sizes and colors, apparently as much
Interested in tue sport as their elders.
The corn was i'll great heap, and the
women, men and children squatted
around it. Before. however, they COM
mcnced work Uncle Billy Green, the
Nestor of the plantation, climbed
with many grOan expressive of
infirmity to the summit of the pile,
and stood there with an ear of corn
in his hand looking like some barbaric
king, sceptre in hand, reviewing his army
from the throne. Uncle Billy did not
intend husking any corn; that did not
come within his province. His duty
was to inspire the labors of his people
with song, for song is as necessary as
air to an assemblage of negroes. Gener-
ally he sang the burden of the song and
The crowd took up the chorus. Some
times there was no chorus; then they
ELL into line after Uncle Billy had
,tarted it. At times he would impro-
wise, which would be unanimously ap-
plauded. The old man gazed down at
the busy huskcrs and then sang in a
sonorous voice:
Oh, Jinny's gone to Newtown,
Oh, Jinny's gone away;
Oh-h. no, no, with no, no.
Oh, Jinny's gone to Newtown,
Oh, Jinny's gone to stay;
Oh-h, no, no, oh-h, no, no.
1t is impossible to describe the chorus
intelligibly; the first "oh" was a long
drawn word. while the remainder was
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
"CHIN-CIIIN BUDUHA.o
The Peculiar Deviations in the Use of Re-
ligiOus Expression.

The Peculiar DeviatiOns in the Use of Re-
ligiOus Expression.
In Anam the French conquerors have
found one custom whi.h they have, in
some measure, fallen in with. since it is
so universal among the people that it is
almost impossible to get along with
them without some use of it. This is
the custom of "Chin- Chin Buddha," a.
homage to Buddha, which the Anamitcs
repeat in a thousand forms.
Hanging upon the walls of their rooms,
the French have panels of silk orna-
mented with inscriptions which are at
once pious and decorative-pious from
the Anamite's point of view, and deco
rative from the Frenchman's. These
panels are "Chin-C Chin Buddhas."
The term "Chin- Chin Buddha" means
"Hail, Buddhap but it has come to be
applied not only to every sort of religious
homage, but to personal homage and po-
likeness as well. All prayers, obeisances,
offerings, acts of ceremonial Difference,
and even of ordinary personal politeness,
are accompanied with the utterance of
this phrase, "Chin- Chin Buddha;" and
objects which are to be sacrificed, as we'll
as decorative objects bearing pious in
scriptions, bear the same name.
When French lady, the wife of a COM
mander, sailed up the Red river to the
town of Hanoi, all the children of the
town came crowding to the shore, max
ing salutes, clapping their hands and
shouting, "Chin-Chin Buddha p
The beggars in the streets utter plain
tive cries of "Chin- Chin Buddha," as
they follow the passer-by, always speak
ing the last name very reverently.
The French in Anam have fallen into
no formal expression in any European
language which has anything like SO
wide use.-E1chdage.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
CHASTITY Proof.

found in such numbers on the shores of
Bantum lake, in Connecticut, that anti
quarians thought that a battle must have
been fought there once. Recently workers
digging there found confederation of the bat
tie theory in the form of bones of men min
gled with rare Indian weapons. Apparently
the men had been buried in a sitting pos
ture and one grave, by its unusually large
collection of weapons, indicated that its oc-
cupant had been a chief or mighty warrior.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
PIONEER PAPERS.
THE PRESS IN KANSAS BEFORE
THE WAR.
Trials and TribuIations of the Editorial
fraternity In Those Days-Mobbing an
Unpopular Journalist and Breaking up
His Property-An Office without Roof.


To-day every Kansas village of 300
souls has more or less newsy paper,
and each town of 5000 inhabitants pos
sesses at least one daily and several
weekly sheets. When this is considered,
ones memory seems almost at fault when
it recalls that, but little over score of
years ago, the number of papers in the
entire State was less than fifty. Half a
dozen years before that there were in
all but twenty-five or twenty-three of
them.
In those days the career of border
editor was far from being one long con-
tinued picnic of existence. About the
only thing that the editors of then and
the editors of the pr 1sent had in common
was the prevailing desire to fill "long-
felt want" Said "long-felt want" was
then, perhaps, more tangible than now,
nearly always existing in the editorial
pocketbook.
In those days, when the border, in
stead of being a mythical region as now,
was almost everywhere west of the Mis-
souri, line-when Kansas was all "bor-
der" with all the perils and privations
the term implies-very little was consid-
cred necessary for the establishment of a
paper. Even town was not absolutely
needful. The paper was started and at
tracted the town, or was expected to do
so. If it failed to possess sufficient draw
ing powers and the town did not put in an
appearance, new location was sought,
and so on, till the editor "struck it
right" or became penniless and dis
gusted. The first paper published In
Kansas had the rather unusual name of
Shau-udnnoue ResanMwan-in other
words, the Shawano Sun. The first num-
Der was issued in 1885. The editor was
Rev. lothian Meeker, who printed his
paper on a small hand-press at the Of
tawa Mission farm and circulated it
among the Shawnee Indians. Mr.. Nee
ker began by teaching the Indians to
read and afterward published the paper
that they might crafty their taste for
literature. 1t was continued some five
years and was success in its way.
One of the oldest editors, printers and
publishers in Kansas to-day is Colonel s.
S. Prouty. He had published the Free
mans Champion at Prairie City, now a
defunct town, and, upon receiving an
offer of twenty-five town lots, 5000 worth
of paid subscribers and house and office
rent free for year, he removed by OK
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03

When the honeymoon is over and acquaint-
ance molds the lover to Il sense of sober
fitness and the seamy-sided real
When the glow has left the fever and he
turns an unbeiever, how he wonders as
he ponders on the frallty of ideal
Then he sees it is the fashion, for the will
ing heat of passion, to benumb to tenn
per frigid in POSSESSIONS needless sight.
When his ardor terms question, of his pow
ers of digestion, or which of them rctir-
ing shall put out the vexing light.
When the Benedict lies thinking, with his
peppers slyly blinking at his better half
who shivers with an unproductive ire,
She discerns through coughs and sneezing
with the mercury at freezing, that affec-
ton all depends on who constructs the
kitchen fire.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
THE STONE MEN OF COREA.
Half-length Human Figures Over Twenty
five Feet in Height.


The last number of the journal of
the Royal Asiatic Society" IN. S. vol.
XIX contains short paper by Professor
de Lacouperie on the Miryeks, or stone
men of Corea. These are huge half
length human figures, carved in stone,
and looked upon as relics of religion
of former times. Those described by
Mr.. Carries in his paper on Corea, read
before the Royal Geographical Society
last year, are about twenty-five feet high,
cut out of some large boulders in the
middle of fir wood in hillside. The
largest hitherto known is at Unjin, and
is shown in plate prefixed to the paper
1t stands about sixty-two feet high; and
the body and head resemble those of the
idols in Buddhist temples. A column
about ten feet high runs up from the
head, giving support to an oblong slab
about the same length; on this stands a
smaller column supporting another slab,
and from the corners of the two bells are
pendent by chains.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
A PLUCKY WOMAN.
How an Explorers Wife Saved His Life
More Than Once.

More Than Once.
The explorer Holub, who, two years
ago, on his wedding day, started with his
bride for Central Africa, has returned to
Vienna. He says he would have been
killed dozen times in the little known
region North of the Zambesi if his wife
had not been with him. The natives had
never seen anybody before who wore
skirts or anybody who had long hair, and
they regarded Mrs. Holub as supernat-
ural being, who had the white man under
her special protection. One of the tribes
proclaimed her as their queen, and
begged hard that she remain with them.
The expedition was very unfortunate,
but Mrs. Holub sustained all its fatigues
and DANCE with fortitude, and re-
turned home in good health. One of
Or. Holub's white assistants was killed by
the fierce Machukulumbe, and the ex-
plorer and his wife escaped by forced
marches. He lost most of his botanical
collections, but was able finally to bring
home 1900 examples, which make nearly
5000 specimens of the flora of Africa
that Holub has taken to Europe.-Er.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
All Explained.

Augusta Evans is out with a new novel,
"At the Mercy of Tiberius." This at first
glance seems surprising, for she exhausted all
Encyclopedias in existence in the production
of her other pedantries. But then it occurs
that Encyclopaedia Britannica has published
several new volumes since then, so we may
look for more impossible interiors furnished
with alabaster and onyx exotics and ante
diluvian bric-a-brac.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03

meetings was very black ne
gro named Sam Barlow. Brer
Barlow had declared in forci-
BILE sermon that a Christian
would run from fiddle lust as 4!
he would from de debble his VA
self" Hence we doubted as to Mn
Brer Barlow grazing our husk- wit
ing with his presence, for he Hill
was aware dancing would be w
INDUCED in. Uncle Billy
quelled my uneasiness on this mi
point. "Dar am no fiddle" <#|
said he, can dar am no debble H"|>~"'
kin skear Sam Barlow from
good supper, chile, now mark"
| was not surprised, there
fore, to see Brer Barlow among the guests,
but was shocked to see him listening to
the music and looking at the dancing
with every appearance of interest.
"Why, Uncle Sammyp' said l, 'you
listening to fiddler The good man
gazed at me without loss of equanimity.
81 amt a-heerin' no fiddle, an l amt a.
seem no dancin' chile" said he "dat pore
sinner, Jack Crawford, kun mighty nyar
bein' saved at de bush-meetin' an am
jest a-fixin' my eye on him to see if he
won't frow dat fiddle down an shout
glory"
Brer Barlow waited long while, in
fact until the music and dancing had
ceased and the sin-hardened Mr.. Craw-
ford had put his fiddle in bag; but l
don't think his eye did any service as far
as Jack Crawford was concerned. While
the dancing and merriment were at their
apex Uncle Billy approaches the musician
and touches him on the shoulder. In
stantly he stops playing, and Uncle Billy,
raising his hand, shouts, Ten o'clock
time TO you niggers to get home" A
great deal of latitude was allowed on the
plantations on such an occasion, but all
must be home by midnight. There was
hustle of preparation, a great deal of
loud talking and louder laughter, and
soon all we hear of the jolly crowd is
the sound of their melodiOus voices sing
ing as they wend their way homeward,
and the corn-husking for this year is over.
JAS. 9. PLUMMER.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
An UnreasOning Tool.

A correspondent apologies for not writing
better upon the ground that he tried to stop
a circular saw with the knuckle of his first
finger on the right hand, with the usual re-
suit. We interviewed a circular saw some
quence was that there is half an inch less
stock on the first thumb of our right hand
A circular saw is the most irritable, I'M
reasoning, and exacting tool in the world
ELchdp1e
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03

F. Marion Crawford tells this story of
Oscar Wilde: wilde" says he, 'came into
my study once and sat down at table,
leaning his head heavily on his hand"
ton. "And he said All Crawford, l am
feeling very bad tonight. One-half the
world does not believe in God and the other
half does not believe in me"-Erchdnge.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03

sung in a rugged style of melody that, in
the surroundings, was wondrously touch
ing. When the echoes of this song had
died away in the gloomy depths of the
pine forest back of the barn, the laughter
and jesting recommended. By this time
the sun had set and the moon poured a
flood of silvery light upon the scene.
wish had had some talent for drawing
so that | could have made a sketch of
that scene. The negroes squatted around
the pile, tearing the husks from the ears,
boys and men carrying baskets of husked
corn into the barn, while outlined in the
moonlight and looking at distance like
some misty giant Uncle Billy stands on
the top of the pile. Behind the barn the
great pine forest looks like black
smudge on the horizon. The wild sing
ing, the chatter of many voices, the smell
of the corn husks and the wondrous
moonlight made it scene will never
forget. But bark Uncle Billy is sing
ing again; he is improvising in honor of
the supper which is coming.
Shuck dat con, de day am a-going';
Shuck dat con, de night am a-comin;
An de 'possum am a-bakin' in de kitchen.
This uncouth effort was nightly liked
and was sung with JUNCTION. By this time
the pile has waXed small and Uncle Billy
stands on the ground. There is not work
now for all the workers and they stand
around singing curious song that have
never heard outside that immediate
neighborhood:
Suns gone down an de days wuk's over,
Miss Liza she's a-winkin;
Suns gone down an de nigger's in clover,
Miss Liza she's a-laffin'.
The last ear of corn is "shucked," and
with much noise and skylarking they en-
ter the great threshing barn. Here
boards have been laid on barrels, benches
and boxes to form tables, and bountiful
meal is spread thereon. The viands con-
sisted of mighty dish of roast pork and
greasy gravy an enormous dish of bacon
and cabbage also invited assault; many
dishes of boiled hominy and ash cake ad
hbitum occupied the rest of the space
How they did eat! Their faces fairly glis-
tened as they swallowed huge pieces of
fat meat or sopped their cakes in the
greasy gravy. Amid this destruction of
comestibles there was plenty of time
for laughter, banter and jest.
After supper the boards and benches
were cleared away and Uncle Jack Craw-
ford, armed with a fiddle, becomes a
prominent parsonage. In a moment a
tempting jig flowed from the catgut and
the dancing commenced. A few did not
dance; they were deeply religious, or had
been Saved" at the recent bush-meeting
1t is strange that as soon as a negro "gets
religion" he abhors fiddle; any other
instrument may pass, but the fiddle ap-
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
BIackberries ad Infinitum.

No doubt few people of North Carolina are
aware of the extent of the dried blackberry
interest in the Piedmont section of the State.
One day last week one firm in Greensboro
shipped $4,000 pounds to the Northern
markets, where they are held in high esti-
nation. The picking and drying ofthe fruit
furnish occupation and remuneration to a
large class of persons in moderate circum-
stances.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-12-03
A Thousand Dollars for Few Apples.

Levi Painter, California farmer, saw All
Cue, Chnaman, helping himself to apples
in his orchard, and he fired couple of
charges of birdshot into the heather. All
tue brought suit against Painter, who was
Supreme Court, but the sentence was sus-
tanned, and Mr.. Painters shot cost him, all
told, about 81 900. Ten cents would have
paid for the fruit that All Cue had taken.-
NeW York San.